The Craziest Method That Will Determine Your Future: How the BOC Exam is Actually Scored

Have you ever wondered how the Athletic Training Board of Certification Exam is actually scored? The answer is actually quite complicated (or simple depending on your perspective). The BOC exam is scored based on the Angoff Method, a widely used standard-setting approach in the test development world.

What is Angoff?

Angoff is simply a method of determining a cut-off score for an exam by having an expert panel judge each item’s difficulty. The cut-off score (or mark) divides students into two groups based on their performance; those below the cut-off and those above the cut-off. Passes and failures may be determined by the cut-off.

Cut-off marks are calculated using the Angoff method based on how candidates performed against a defined standard (absolute) rather than how they performed against their peers (relative). Exam items are judged (test-centered), not exam candidates (examinee-centred), and it is widely used for standardizing high-stakes exams. There are several variations of the Angoff method, but this blog will give you an overview of the process that most organizations use.

How is Angoff calculated?

According to Angoff, a group of experts is asked “What percentage of borderline…